To Protect
by The Forsaken Girl
Summary: Tomoyo stands outside among the sakura trees. Kurogane joins her. Implied TomoKuro, mostly up to interpretation. Rated K-plus for Kurogane's mouth. Enjoy!


A/N: Long time no see, everyone! :D I know it's been a while, but I've been extremely with schoolwork and the like ^__^ And now, I give you another.....! Actually, no, it's a TomoKuro fic O.O See, Me_And_The_Wallpaper-san made a great challenge for KuroFai and TomoKuro fans to write a story for the opposite couple that you support :) And therefore, I wrote TomoKuro :D More notes at the end, but for now, enjoy! ^__^

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Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE

To Protect

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It was a warm, spring day.

The newly blossomed sakura trees blew with the breeze, ruffling the cherry blossoms. The Nihon princess stood at the base of the oldest sakura tree, staring up at the hammock, which once held another princess at her time of need. She smiled softly and turned around.

"It's a beautiful day for a walk, isn't it, Kurogane?"

Kurogane remained silent and watched her face. Tomoyo smiled and walked up to the ninja. "Would you like to come with me?"

The red-eyed man sighed and shrugged half-heartedly. "Why are you out here alone?"

"I wanted to gather my thoughts," she said, smiling up at the glaring man. "You of all men must understand when one likes to be alone. But," she continued, waving her hand, "it is nice to have some company. What brings you out here?"

"I couldn't find you," he muttered, annoyed. "You're not supposed to be outside alone, damn it. It's not safe."

Tomoyo sighed. "You're too worried all the time. But that's what's so kind about you, Kurogane. Thank you for worrying." She beamed up at him. Kurogane looked away and muttered something under his breath, turning faintly red.

They walked down the beaten path quietly for some time, watching the cherry blossoms fall from the trees. Kurogane frowned vaguely, thinking and lost in thought while Tomoyo smiled demurely. She glanced up at the ninja and remembered something. "I spoke to Sakura-chan today."

The red-eyed man tensed ever so slightly, eyes widening to a degree. The princess's eyes twinkled in knowledge and waited for a response. He scowled and crossed his arms, flesh against metal. "So?"

"Syaoran-kun asked Sakura-chan to marry him. They're engaged."

Kurogane started in surprise before rolling his eyes and smirking. "Of course they would be." He stared at her intently. "And why did you tell me this?"

Tomoyo grinned. "Well, since you've spent so much time with them, I thought you might want to know! And you're invited, of course," she added as an afterthought.

Kurogane raised his eyebrows. "And you're invited too." He snorted in amusement at her excited smile.

"Sakura-chan is so sweet to have invited me even though I haven't truly met her," she exclaimed happily. "And Syaoran-kun, too. Won't you be happy to see them again, Kurogane? Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, Fai-san…"

Kurogane shrugged but smiled slightly. Tomoyo looked at him knowingly. "I talked to Fai-san as well. He told me to tell 'Kuro-wanko' he said hi."

Kurogane rolled his eyes and glanced at his mechanical arm. "Idiot. So he's not dead yet?"

"Not at all, from what I've heard," she responded cheerily. "He lives in the castle with Sakura-chan and Syaoran-kun. Apparently he's been helping Yukito-san with his duties as the priest. Fai-san looks very happy."

The ninja grunted noncommittally. Tomoyo looked up at the cloudless sky. "It's been five years since you've came back, hasn't it? It only feels like yesterday when you crashed into the castle and made a hole in the ceiling," she chirped, laughing slightly.

Kurogane glowered at the amethyst-eyed girl. "Shut up. It's the damn space witch's fault."

Tomoyo sighed in exasperation. "Kurogane, you're much too shy," she deadpanned. Ignoring her companion's indignant shouts, she continued. "You miss them, don't you?"

"I would rather be here," Kurogane argued defiantly. Tomoyo smiled.

"That's not the point. You still miss them. Kurogane, you traveled with them for a long time. They're your family, and vice versa. You protected them and you fought with them and you cared for them. You still care for them."

"That stuff doesn't matter anymore," he muttered sulkily.

Tomoyo clasped her hands together. "You're being shy again," she warned, eyes twinkling. "You don't like to show your emotions, Kurogane, and I understand that, but sometimes, the people around you need to know how you feel." She smiled and touched Kurogane's arm. "Now, don't you want to see everyone again?"

The ninja scowled and looked away. "Yeah. Sure. It'll be nice to see them again. But that doesn't mean I always want to be with them. I swore to protect you, and I always will." He turned to glare at her, daring her to argue.

The princess laughed and stood on her toes to give her ninja a swift peck on the cheek, "I know. Thank you." She stepped back and grabbed Kurogane's hand, squeezing it slightly. "Now, shall we go in? It's getting late and dinner will be served soon."

Kurogane gazed at her for a moment, eyebrows furrowed, before quirking his lips up and nodding. They walked slowly back to the castle, holding hands for another precious moment before letting go, once again a princess and ninja.

The sun hung low and heavy against the horizon, turning the sky all shades of orange and pink. The sakura trees stood still in the absence of the cool spring breeze, cherry blossoms blending in with the sky. Inside, an amethyst-eyed princess teased an enraged ninja as they sat down for a meal. It truly was a beautiful day.

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A/N: Oh god, awkward ending much? D: This was so incredibly difficult to write, since my OTP is KuroFai and I adore them to death :D And it was only implied too, but this was still quite harsh for me _ I love the TomoKuro bond though, so I hope that you guys like it enough to review! Critique and give me tips on how I can be better with my writing, I would appreciate it very much ^__^ Thank you for reading!


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